Blue panaque fun in the water

[bekateen]

Hi All,

I got a group of

Baryancistrus beggini

and I set them in the tank shown in this video. I plan to add a bit more wood and definitely more caves. Please let me know if you have any additional suggestions.

Thanks, Eric

Direct link to YouTube video: Blue panaque (Baryancistrus beggini) basking in the water current

[bekateen]

Since I'm still pretty new to these fish, I'm working on different foods. So far, I've found they like the outside skin of zucchini/courgette, but they don't seem to like the inner flesh. I've also given them raw sweet potato and red bell peppers, but I can't tell if they are eating any (vs. the veggies just rotting in the tank). Still working on it.

Cheers, Eric

[F15CathyShark]

How cute!!!

[MarcW]

Hi Eric, they are the same three veggies I've tried with my L128! As you have found they love courgette skin but not the flesh, and eat a little sweet potato flesh ( I peel it and add to the tank raw for 48hrs), they did eat a little red pepper flesh but not a lot.

Courgette skin seems to be irresistible to most of the loricariids I have kept (only 4 species!).

I've also tried mango in the past, just a wedge with the skin still on but washed with some flesh still attached, however they showed no interest.

Jobro has suggested carrot in a few threads but none of my fish seemed to like it.

I think most fish need a few nights with the fruit or vegetable in the tank to recognise it as food, but now I know they go so crazy for courgette skin, I just add that and sweet potato occasionally. To make a change from the Repashy foods I usually feed.

[Narwhal72]

I wonder how they would like pumpkin? Would seem about the same as zucchini or cucumber skin I would think?

[Jobro]

I tried pumpkin. Like with almost all new veggies they need their time to get to know it. Then they eat it. But not as enthusiastic as other fruits/veggies. I used the pumpkins that humans tend to eat (e.g. Hokkaido pumpkin). Some others (especially the smaller ornamental pumpkins) might be toxic so be careful with them.

[bekateen]

Some others (especially the smaller ornamental pumpkins) might be toxic so be careful with them.

Toxic? In what way? What is toxic about them?

[nabulus]

Eric, do they like french beans at all?

[bekateen]

I haven't tried any beans yet with these plecos. To make sure I understand you, do you mean French-cut green beans? Have you used them? If so, with what plecos and what was your experience with them as food?

I have used (blanched or raw) peeled black-eyed peas and kidney with other plecos. They are eaten well.

Cheers, Eric

[Jobro]

Toxic? In what way? What is toxic about them?

about 3 years ago an old couple died after eating some pumpkin/zucchini hybrid. At least that's what the newspapers told.

Cucurbitacin is the toxic substance in ornamental pumpkins. No idea how much truth is to it. You might have more insights than I do.

I always stick to "If I can eat it, my plecos can hopefully too".

[bekateen]

Okay, thanks. I'll do more research on this. By coincidence, I recently bought two ornamental pumpkins to try them as foods. I've fed one of them one time to two of my tanks. No mortality yet, even though some was eaten for sure. I'll suspend feeding this until I can get more info.

Cheers, Eric

[Jobro]

Okay, thanks. I'll do more research on this. By coincidence, I recently bought two ornamental pumpkins to try them as foods. I've fed one of them one time to two of my tanks. No mortality yet, even though some was eaten for sure. I'll suspend feeding this until I can get more info.

Cheers, Eric

Eric, the obvious thing is (and I know I don't need to tell you) 1. the poison is the dose 2. a fish is not a human and might very well give a damn about Cucurbitacin.
I just wanted to suggest, that ornamental pumpkins could prove to be toxic. Only a possibility, that I felt, I needed to mention when giving advice in public.

And Hokkaido pumpkin seems to be super cheap during it's season and super easy to grow in your garden. I don't see merrits in taking other pumpkins. Also: I can eat these myself

[nabulus]

I haven't tried any beans yet with these plecos. To make sure I understand you, do you mean French-cut green beans? Have you used them? If so, with what plecos and what was your experience with them as food?

I have used (blanched or raw) peeled black-eyed peas and kidney with other plecos. They are eaten well.

Cheers, Eric

Hi Eric,
Yes that is what I meant. Not sure what "cut" means in this case so I always leave that out... I was just curious if you have any experience using them. I have only used french-cut green beans for my albino bristlenose and blue eyed L144 and they do like them. They also like peas (bought as frozen) a lot. I find that my L201, L333 and L134 do not touch french-cut green beans much but they do eat microwaved, de-shelled peas. I feed these carnivores/omnivores a variety of meaty food (that includes veggie sticks) 5 days a week, peas one day a week, and no food one day a week.

Best, Ke

[bekateen]

Not sure what "cut" means in this case so I always leave that out...

I believe "French cut" or "French style" green beans refers to the cutting of the beans lengthwise
(longitudinally), creating long thin strips. The alternative in American processed foods is just "cut green beans" or "fancy cut green beans," which are intact beans cut perpendicularly to create short cylindrical pieces instead of long strips.

Okay, I understand what you're saying. I have given some of my plecos peeled peas (previously frozen) before and they ate them well. I have tried whole fresh green beans, but never canned or frozen green beans.

I'm still trying to figure out best foods for these beggini and my L387. So far the L387 don't seem to like much but pellets (I'm getting earthworm sticks this week); the beggini are better about the zucchini if I remove the seeds and core. They nibble on sweet potato but really don't take to it yet like my Panaqolus do.

Cheers, Eric

[jac]

Please don't call them "Blue Panaque" They have nothing to do with Panaque.... I know you know this, the name just irritates the shit out of me

I keep and (try to) breed Baryancistrus beginni. (http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... =5&t=40955)
Mine sometimes settle in front of the water outlet in the tank, on some wood.
As for food, you may already know this also, I feed Repashy. Repashy foods have all the necessary ingredients the fish need and they have a selection of herbivore, carnivore and omnivoor formulas. Soilent Green suits them perfectly, and you can add some Grub Pie or Bottom Scratcher to that as well just to condition them a little bit more.

Keep an eye out for my facebook, I'm pretty sure they are ready to spawn again this week

[bekateen]

Hi Jac,

I've been reviewing your old posts here to help me care for and condition these fish. And of course I do follow you on FB, so when your B. beggini spawn, I'll know it. Good luck.

I've got some Repashy foods on hand - bottom scratcher, Soylent green, morning wood, and spawn & grow.

Please don't call them "Blue Panaque" They have nothing to do with Panaque.... I know you know this, the name just irritates the shit out of me

As for the name, I'm sorry it bothers you so. I have my own pet peeves about certain fish names (like when people use L-numbers for described species); alas, "blue panaque" is the only common name I ever see for B. beggini. I know they aren't panaques. But that is their common name, sadly. I suppose I could truncate their generic name (like "Pseudas," "Hoplos," "Corys," and "plecos," etc.)... I was going to call them "blue barys" but that seemed too silly (blueberries); then I though to call it a "blue baryan," but as I typed the computer suggested to me the words Aryan and barium -the last things I want to think of is a blue Aryan or a blue barium enema.

In text, I'll routinely refer to them simply as B. beggini. I'll try to keep "blue panaques" to a minimum. But don't be surprised if you see a few "blue barys" here and there.

How many blue emoticons can I find for my "blue bary?"

Cheers, Eric

[fat meloe!]

I have used (blanched or raw) peeled black-eyed peas and kidney with other plecos. They are eaten well.

Alarm!

A quick google search suggests that raw kidney beans are human-toxic.

Either your plecos are immune to kidney-bean poisoning, the raw kidney-bean thing is a widespread myth, you have only given cooked kidney-beans to plecos, or, worst of all...



...your plecos have literally been eating blanched or raw kidneys.

[bekateen]

Now that you mention it, I can only recall specifically feeding the fish raw (but soaked and peeled) black eyed peas. I'll have to go back to my cupboard and freezer to see which beans I store there.

... Nope, I have fed kidney beans. They were blanched, not completely raw. (http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... ey#p300731)

Cheers, Eric

[Jools]

Please don't call them "Blue Panaque" They have nothing to do with Panaque.... I know you know this, the name just irritates the shit out of me

Lol. Let's call them Blue Baryancistrus then. Oh, wait...

Blue Beggini is a nicer name.....

Jools

[bekateen]

Nobody can stop the blue bary!

[jac]

Mine are trapping this morning, what did I tell you

[Jools]

Mine are trapping this morning, what did I tell you

Jools